The Golden Knights Book

If you are or have been a Golden Knight of any time period, I am respectfully requesting your input and assistance gathering information for my newest book.

The book is “Evolution: The Story of the U.S. Army Parachute Team Through the Years.” I expect to publish it by mid-2023 or sooner.

Here is the back story.

Although, I am not a Golden Knight, I have deep roots with the Team going back to my first days as a young jumper with the XVIII Airborne Corps Sport Parachuting Club at Fort Bragg in the early Sixties. I have been a member of the skydiving community for 60 years. Many of my original instructors and jumpmasters were early Team members.

Recently, I was invited to attend the Golden Knights Alumni Association Reunion at Raeford. In so doing, as an author and publisher, I was curious as to what relevant book titles existed about the Team. Consequently, I discovered that the last book of any merit was published in 1990. That’s thirty-two years ago. I began to float the idea of producing a new book almost immediately. One major reason that I have is that I believe that I can tell the story of the Team’s evolution across the years in a way that is relevant to current and past Team members, and that the book will become not only an accurate account of the Team’s history, but an important Team keepsake as well. So, I decided to write the book as a voluntary activity, and to make the book available to the GKAA at cost. (See the Project Description for more details.)

I am very excited about the project. But I cannot do this without your help! I need every scrap of information, every photo I can find, every story you want to share about your time on the Team. You have my personal assurance that my foremost goal is to protect the Team’s professional image and its  illustrious status among the military demonstration teams worldwide. At the same time, I want you to know that I want to share your memories in a way that endears the book to you, your families and your friends.

Whatever you share with me, do not worry that you are not a writer. That’s my job. I cannot promise that I will use everything I am offered. Whatever I do use, I will not use without your express permission in writing. Do not think that what you may offer is not important. Please let me make that decision.

In closing, below you will find two documents. One, a pdf, is the Project Description and Outline, and it describes how I envision the book now. I must note that the description is fluid and probably will change. I also must note that the book is being prepared, written and published as an independent endeavor exclusive of any official Department of Defense or Golden Knights Alumni Association endorsement. The other is an editable Word document, an Interview Questionnaire.  The idea behind it is that you can fill it out and tell me about your time and experiences on the Team, then send it to me for review. If, after I review it, I find items of interest for possible inclusion in the book, I will contact you and arrange for a time that I can interview you by phone and further explore a contribution that you may make. 

Please remember that I am open to and welcome any suggestions that will make the book one you will treasure. Remember, too, that I am preparing this book for the Golden Knights first. The more you can contribute, the more the book becomes yours!

Thank you in advance for your help and your time!

Mike